Cinnamon Roll Scones - Everyday Annie

I’m a very visual person, particularly when it comes to my food. Clearly, since I love to play with my food and take pictures of it. A lot of the time this is a good thing, because I see beautiful photos of food and it keeps me constantly inspired in the kitchen. Sometimes though, it is a bad thing. I’ll see a lovely photo of a dish and get all excited only to find that either there is no accompanying recipe (what?!) or the recipe doesn’t sound as good as the photo looks (bummer). I’d seen pictures of cinnamon roll scones numerous times but none of the recipes sounded worth a shot. I let the idea marinate for, oh, about the past two years and finally I dreamed up with the way I wanted to do them.

I started out with the dough from my very favorite scones and subbed in whole wheat flour for part of the all-purpose, as well as greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. Blueberries got the boot for a cinnamon-sugar mixture, toasted pecans and a sprinkling of cinnamon chips. The mixing method for the dough stayed the same but I shaped these differently to achieve the cinnamon roll swirl. As for the final product? Let’s just say my very favorite scones now have a new best friend.

As with most scones, these can be prepped in advance and frozen before baking. Bake straight from the freezer for an über simple yet impressive breakfast option. Like, you know, if you wanted to surprise someone you love with breakfast in bed tomorrow? Go for it. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Yield 8 scones

Ingredients

For the dough:
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, frozen whole
½ cup milk
½ cup low-fat greek yogurt
1 cup (5 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
1 cup (5 oz.) whole wheat flour
½ cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
Milk or cream, for brushing
3 tbsp. sugar
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
2/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
¼ cup cinnamon chips

To finish:
2 tbsp. melted butter
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. milk

Directions

01
Adjust an oven rack to middle position and preheat to 425˚ F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Grate the frozen butter on the holes of a large box grater. (I like to use my food processor for this – fast and easy.)
02
Whisk together the milk and yogurt in a medium bowl; refrigerate until needed. Combine the flours, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and toss with fingers until thoroughly coated
03
Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula just until combined. Transfer the dough to a generously floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough with flour, and knead with well floured hands, 6-8 times, just until the dry ingredients have been mostly incorporated.
04
Roll the dough into a 12-inch square. Fold the dough into thirds like a business letter (a dough scraper really helps with these steps). Fold the short ends of the dough into the center in thirds, to form an approximate 4-inch square. Transfer the dough to a plate lightly dusted with flour and chill in the freezer for 5 minutes.
05
Return the dough to the floured work surface and roll into an approximately 10-inch square. Lightly brush the surface of the dough with milk or cream. Whisk together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dough. Layer with the toasted pecans and cinnamon chips. Roll the dough up into a tight log. Lay the log seam side down on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to slice into 8 round discs. Place the shaped scones on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush the top of each scone with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse sugar. (If freezing ahead of time, flash freeze on the baking sheet for 20 minutes, then wrap individually and store in a freezer bag until needed.)
06
Bake until the tops and bottoms are golden brown, 16-20 minutes (about 20-22 if baking from the freezer). Transfer to a wire rack and let cool at least 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and milk. Whisk together until smooth, adding additional milk or sugar to reach your preferred consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the scones. Serve warm.

Source

highly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated